Process of decorating zinc



llnrrnn rn'rns Parana @lfl lflh GUSTAV H. DITTMAN, OF LAKE VIElV,ASSIGXOR TO THE ADAMS & IVE-ST- LAKE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

PROCESS OF DECORATING ZlNC.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.318,882, dated May 26,1885. Application filed April 25, 1884. (Specimens) .T aZZ whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV H. DITT'MAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lake View, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of DecoratingZinc; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the in vention, which will enable others skilled in{O the art to which it appcrtains to make and use I will proceed todescribe 1n detail the sev- 2o cral steps by which my new process iscarried in the next step.

out in a practical way, and will then point out definitely in the claimthe special improve ments which I believe to be new and wish to protectby Letters Patent.

The plate or sheet of zinc is first carefully cleaned, and I then paintor print the ornamental design or picture upon one surface thereof insome suitable ink or paint which will protect the surface covered fromaction Printers ink will do for this purpose, but I do not wish toconfine myself to it alone. After the design has been thus produced onthe surface of the plate the plate is plunged into a bath of a solutioncomposed 5 of the following substances in the proportions substantiallyas follows, by weight: water, thirty-two parts; chloride of antimony,one part; chloride of copper, two parts. The effoot of this solutionupon the unprotected sur face of the zinc will be to produce a blackground by a kind of electrochemical action, making a deposit of antimonyand copper. The ink or other substance in which the design is tracedwill not be affected, however, and will 5 thoroughly protect the surfaceof the plate, which is covered thereby from any action of the solution.After remaining in the bath until the black ground is thoroughly formedon the surface, the plate is removed and fully c dried, and is thenplaced in a second bath of turpentine, benzine, ether, or any othersuitable liquid which will remove the ink or other material in which thedesign has been traced, but without afiecting the black ground. Whenthis tracing material has been completely dis- 5 solved or removed fromthe plate,the latter is taken from the bath and thoroughly dried.Obviously the design will now appear on the plate in the white surfaceof the metal, and

upon a black ground, produced as described above. In order to protectthe entire surface fully and to give it a more highly finishedappearance the pictured side is now varnished over its entire surface,and after the varnish is dried the plates or sheets of zinc are ready 6for use. A decidedly neat effect is thus produced on a cheap metal, thusenabling me to give a durable ornamentation to zinc surfaces of almostany description, and by a process which is simple, cheap, and easilypracticed. 7 Antimony may be used alone in preparing the bath for makingthe ground, if desired; but the ground obtained is not quite sopermanent as when some copper is used; hence I prefer the solutioncompounded as stated 7 above. I do not wish to be understood, however,as limiting myself to the exact proportions given in the formula above,as they may perhaps be varied somewhat; and I wish to be understood asincluding in my improvement the use of asolution having only theantimony. Furthermore, I wish it to be understood that I do not restrictmyself to any particular material for removing the tracing of the designafter the ground has been produced. It is im- 8= material what is usedfor this purpose, provided only that it is something which will readilywash out or remove the tracing material and without injury to theground.

I am aware that it has been proposed to use g( a solution of chloride ofantimony in alcohol, with the addition of hydrochloric acid, for thepurpose of blackening the surface of zinc, the same to be applied by abrush or pencil, and I therefore lay no claim to the same. 0

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire toprotect by Letters Patent, is-

The herein-described process for decorating surfaces of zinc andprotecting the decoration, I

the same consisting in, first, printing or paint was made on thesurface; and, fourth, covering the ornamental design upon the clean zincing the entire ornamented surface when dried 10 surface in printers inkor other suitable nmwith a suitable varnish, substantially as andterial; second, submitting this pictured surfor the purposes set forth.

face to a bath in a solution of antimony or GUSTAV H. DITTMAN. antimonyand copper, substantially as speci- WVitnesses:

fied in the formula; third, Washing out or re- JNO. R. CALL,

moving the ink or paint by which the design A; M. BEST.

